


Eavesdropping

by masterofmyfate



Series: Ducks! :V [1]
Category: Disney Duck Universe
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-12
Updated: 2020-06-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:42:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24684790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/masterofmyfate/pseuds/masterofmyfate
Summary: Gladstone makes it home in time to hear something he wishes he hadn't. Inspired by the Teenage Cousin Shenanigans AU! https://tcsauaskblog.tumblr.com
Series: Ducks! :V [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1794376
Comments: 6
Kudos: 46





	Eavesdropping

Gladstone strolled down the dark hallway. He didn’t bother to be careful as he snuck back in the house, since as luck would have it, he never bumped into anything or made the floor creak anyway. He could just as easily have made it to here from downtown blindfolded. As he walked by Don and Della’s room, though, he heard something that made him pause.  
  
“Is he _still_ out there?” growled Donald, followed by the rustle of window shutters.  
  
A sigh followed, probably Della’s. “Last week he came back at sunset, remember? Anyway, I’m sure he’s fine. He’s Gladstone.”  
  
Don harrumphed and Gladstone heard the bed squeak and shake as Don presumably flopped down on it. Smirking, he leaned against the wall and listened. Maybe he’d hear something he could tease his cousins about later.  
  
“That’s just it! He’d jump in front of a train on a five dollar bet just to prove a point! He’s reckless and stupid and—“ Gladstone frowned and turned a slight shade of red, stuffing the five dollar bill he’d won about an hour ago into his pocket. _Technically, I jumped in front of a car…_  
  
“ _I know_ , and I don’t like it either…but there’s something else, isn’t there? Something you’re not telling me. You’ve been on edge all day.”  
  
“It’s nothing, it’s just…” muttered Donald, and Gladstone had to strain to hear. He could imagine both their faces: Della with those unwavering eyes that could punch a hole through titanium, and Donald’s beak twitching back a snarl. “I was talking with Grandma earlier today, and she mentioned his mom.”  
  
“Aunt Daphne?”  
  
Hearing her name sent an electric shock through Gladstone. It took a second for him to get his breath back.  
  
“Yeah. It got me thinking. His mom was lucky too, wasn’t she? They say she was just like him.”  
  
Della’s reply was slow, hesitant. “Yeah…but…are you saying…?”  
  
Donald’s voice had dropped to almost nothing. Gladstone was pressed tightly against the wall, half to hear, and half to keep himself from sinking to the ground. Part of him wanted to run, part of him wanted to slam the door open and yell at them for talking about this, but something locked him in place.  
  
“Luck wasn’t enough to save her. Why should it keep saving Gladstone?”  
  
Della was silent.  
  
Gladstone was shaking.  
  
This wasn’t a new thought to him. He’d tried to understand that mystery a thousand times, formed a thousand theories. Even if _her_ luck had inexplicably failed, why hadn’t his stepped in? Didn’t he love his parents? Didn’t he want them around? Of all the times the universe had bent itself over backwards to satisfy his every whim, _why had it_ —  
  
Donald’s voice cut back into his thoughts. There was a thump like a pillow being flung across the room. “UGH! Why does he have to be SO—“  
  
“Shh! You’ll wake Fethry.”  
  
With some effort, Don restrained his anger. “Right, right…It’s just, I wish he would trust us more than his luck, y’know?”  
  
Something went _chrk_ inside Gladstone, somewhere around the heart area.  
  
Della spoke gently. “Luck’s a part of who he is. We gotta respect that, but…we’re a part of him too, and even if he doesn’t realize it yet, he will.”  
  
“He'd better.”  
  
The twins fell silent after that, and Della started snoring lightly. Gladstone shifted so just his forehead and forearms were against the wall, processing what he’d just heard. Of course he knew his cousins loved him. He wasn’t one much for touchy-feely conversations, but it would take a complete dolt to miss the fact that they’d do anything for him.  
  
But up till now, it hadn’t hit him how much he’d been trying to shut that love down.  
  
Maybe Donald was right. Maybe he did trust his luck more than his family.  
  
“I’m gonna go check,” he heard Don say to himself, and the thought of being discovered in the hallway caused enough mortification to jar him into action. He lightly sprinted down the hallway and dove into his bed, just in time for Don to crack open the door, looking unusually haggard for a teenager. Once he saw Gladstone’s rumpled curls buried in the pillow, he relaxed. “‘Course he snuck back in,” he grumbled, shutting the door again and stumbling back to bed. Fethry stayed fast asleep.  
  
After he was sure Donald wasn’t gonna pop back in, Gladstone kicked off his shoes and tugged off his sweatshirt. He stared at the five dollar bill he’d earned earlier that day, expressionless.  
  
Then he chucked it out the window and finally fell asleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Epilogue: After this, a couple of weeks go by and Donald realizes Gladstone hasn't been taking bets or sneaking off anymore, and geez, maybe his cousin is finally getting his act together. That is, until he sees Gladstone wandering in the house with a wad of cash. He confronts him, sputtering like WHAT. DID YOU. DO. And Gladstone, cool and sly, goes, "Oh...they said I wouldn't dare jumping in front of a train. Sooooo worth it."  
> And then it's a chase around the yard and house, knocking things over. Grandma Coot walks in like "Dear, did you get around to buying that rope I asked?" to which Gladstone responds "Sold out, sorry! Here you go!" And he tosses the cash on the table and sprints out the front door, surprise stopping Donald in his tracks and giving Gladstone time to get away. Then Donald turns red as the implications set in. "GET BACK HERE!" he shouts and the chase continues, Gladstone laughing his guts out the entire time.


End file.
